Trai fixes firm deadlines for BFSI switch to 1600 code

THE TELECOM REGULATORY Authority of India (Trai) on Wednesday set firm deadlines for the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) industry to adopt the dedicated '1600' numbering series for service and transactional calls.

- OJASVI GUPTA

The move aims to contain a surge in impersonation-based financial frauds carried out through deceptive voice calls.

With this transition, customers will be able to instantly recognise calls from regulated financial institutions, helping them distinguish genuine calls from scams disguised as official banking communication.

Trai said that commercial banks, including public sector, private and foreign banks, must fully migrate to the '1600' series by January 1, 2026. Mutual funds and asset management companies will need to make the shift by February 15, 2026, while qualified stockbrokers must adopt the series by March 15, 2026.